Gary Brueggen was born in the small farming community of Cashton, Wi, where at the young age of two he became captivated by polka music he heard on the radio. Recognizing his potential, Gary's parents bought him his first set of drums at five years old, and by the time he was nine, he played his first job with the Ridgeland Dutchmen. At age 10, he was given his first concertina, which began his magical career with the bellowed instrument. Gary eventually took over leadership of the band with his father and uncle, and they became a favorite throughout the midwest. They toured nationally and internationally and went on to record 16 albums and two DVDs for the Mollie B Polka Party on RFD-tv. Along with concertina and drums, Gary taught himself to play piano, button box, tuba, trumpet, and valve trombone and is proud to represent the 17th generation of the Brueggen family musical legacy. Over the years, he also found time to perform and record with a host of other bands and to broadcast polka music on various radio stations.

For his many accomplishments in the polka industry, Gary Brueggen, “Wisconsin's Concertina Kid”, has been deemed deserving by the electorate of the International Polka Association for induction into the Polka Music Hall of Fame®.